Virginia Tech, WVU discussing possible D.C. game

Virginia Tech and West Virginia are discussing the possibility of renewing their rivalry with a game in Washington D.C. for the 2017 season.

According to the Charleston Gazette, West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck is seeking non-conference opponents for neutral-site games in order to boost the team’s strength of schedule. The school reduced a six-year agreement with East Carolina to two years in order to accommodate other teams and has reached out to Virginia Tech.

Whether or not the two teams can reach an agreement will largely depend on whether the Atlantic Coast Conference elects to adopt a nine-game conference schedule.

Virginia Tech already has three non-conference opponents scheduled for 2017. Should the ACC extend its league schedule by one, the Hokies will be at 12 regular season games, the maximum allowed by the NCAA.

With the league’s expansion to 14 teams as well as Notre Dame’s rotation into ACC schedules, the topic is likely to be discussed during the league’s spring meetings in May. If they remain at the current eight-game schedule, Virginia Tech will be able to add West Virginia to their 2017 schedule.

Should they expand the schedule to nine-games, however, Virginia Tech would have to remove one of their non-conference opponents to accommodate a possible matchup with the Mountaineers. Virginia Tech’s non-conference opponents for 2017 are Delaware, East Carolina and Old Dominion.

Virginia Tech and West Virginia are historic rivals and formerly met once a year while both teams were members of the Big East conference. The winner of their annual game was awarded the Black Diamond Trophy, first introduced in 1997 to symbolize the coal-mining culture of the Appalachian region.

The two teams have not met since 2005, Virginia Tech’s second season in the ACC.

In addition to Virginia Tech, West Virginia is also seeking a neutral-site game with Tennessee. The two schools are currently finalizing a deal for a game in Charlotte, N.C.